Mail-carrier wagon.



No. 800,345. PATENTED SEPT.y 26, 1905. L. T. VARIN. MAIL CARRIER WAGON.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 12, 1905.-

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MAIL CARRIER WAGON. PPLIUATION FILED IAN. 12.. 1905.

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LAWRENCE-T. VARIN,`OF DAVID CITY, NEBRASKA.

MAIL-CARRIER WAGON.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAWRENCE T. VARIN, a citizen of the United States, residing` at David City, in the county of Butler and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Mail-Carrier Wagon, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mail carriers wagons adapted especially for carriers upon rural free-delivery routes; and it has for its object to improve and to simplify the construction of this class of vehicles.

With this and other ends in view, which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same'consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of embodiment of the invention, it being, how'- ever, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that the right is reserved to any changes, alterations, and modifications to which recourse may be had within the scope of the invention and without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the 'elficiency of the same.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mail-carriers wagon constructed in accordance with the principles-of the inven-l tion. Fig. 2 is a rear perspective of the same,

the door being open, so as to expose the inte-l riorl construction. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation showinga part of the running-gear. Fig. 4 is a detail bottom plan view of one of the springs and a portion of one of the body-bars supported thereon. Fig. 5 is la perspective view showing the vehicle with the near wheel removed and illustrating a modification.

Corresponding parts in the yseveral figures are indicated by like characters of reference. The running-gear of the improved vehicle includes a'dropped or inverted arch-axle 1, upon the spindles of which, 2, the wheels 3 3 are journaled. Rigidly connected with the spindle portions of the axle adjacent to the' inner sides of the wheels are the thills 4 4, which are connected in the usual manner by across-bar 5, the central portion of which is Specification of Letters Patent." Application filed January 12, 190512 Serial No. 240,817.

Patented Sept. 26, 1905.

connected with the thills by means of'ob-` liquely-disposed bracesv 6. The curved rear ends of the thills are also reinforced by diagonal braces The vehicle box or body 8 is provided upon the sides thereof with body-bars 9 9, rigidly lsecured thereto and extended forwardly, the front ends of said body-bars being connected with the inner sides of the thills by means of pivotal members, such as bolts 10. By this arrangement the body-bars arefree to move up and down between and adjacent to the thills, the advantage of which will be readily understood. This construction also admits of the parts being easily disconnected or assembled, as may be desired. Hingedly connected with the under sides of the body-bars, near the front ends of the latter. are bowed leaf-springs 11, the rear ends o1'l which are Y oosely` supported upon the under sides of said body-bars, said rear ends being preferably bifurcated, as will be seen at 12 in Fig. 4 of the drawings, to engage a headed stud 13, whereby they will be slidably connected with the under sides of said body-bars, the latter being preferably provided with wearplates 14. The bowed under sides of the springs 11 are supported upon the cross-bar 5, connecting the thills, wear-blocks or cushions being preferably interposed, as shown at 15. A whiflietree for the attachment of draft has been shown at 16, loops, as 17, being provided to limit the swinging movement of said whiffletree The` body 8 of the vehicle has been illustrated as being in the shape of a rectangular box, provided at the sides and at the front thereof with windows 18, which are obviously arranged to be opened for the purpose of providing ventilation when desired. The rear end of the box has a door 19, which may also be provided with a window, as 20. The interior of the box has a transversely-arranged seat 21, which is hingedat one end to a supporting member 22, so that it may be readily raised, as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, to provide for the ingress and egress of the v mail-carrier, whois also the driver, supporte` ing means (not shown) being also provided for the free end of said seat, The front side of the vehicle-box has slots 23 for the passage of the reins,said slots being preferably formed l at the lower edge of the window-casing. Rows IOO - cured upon the shoulders of the axle.

iiexible manner.

of pigeonholes, as 24, are provided upon either side ofthe vehicle, and the inside of the door is provided with a padded cushion 25, affording a back-rest for the occu pant of the vehicle when said door is closed and secured.

Under the modified construction illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings the body-ba1s,(liere designated 91) the forward ends of which are pivotally connected with the thills, are connected pivotally withthe sides of the vehiclebody, as will bevseen at 28. The body 8 is supported by means of coiled springs 29, the lower ends of which have been shown as connected with brackets 30 at the lower edge of the body 8, while the upper ends of said coiled springs are suitably connected with the ends of leaf-springs or platform-springs 3l, se-

In Fig. 5 of the drawings only one side of the vehicle appears; butthe construction there illustrated is obviously duplicated upon the opposite side. It is thought that by this construction the vehicle-body, while it is connected with the thills or draft members by means of the bodybars 9, will be free to move vertically up and down upon the supporting-springs with a somewhat easier motion than will be the case where the body-bars are rigidly connected with the vehicle-body. The body-bars, however, connecting the Vehicle-body with the thills or draft members, which constitute a leading feature of the invention, have been retained.

The operation of this invention and its advantages for the purpose for which it is specially designed will be readily understood and appreciated. The vehicle is extremely light and may therefore be readily propelled by a single draft-animal, and the cost of its construction and maintenance is therefore greatly reduced as compared with that of vehicles requiring' a double team. The construction is strong, compact, and durable. Being supported upon two wheels, it may be readily turned in very cramped quarters and it may 'be utilized in localities which would be impassable to four-wheeled vehicles. The body vof the vehicle hangs low, and is therefore easy of access, while the drop-axle, whereby it is supported, serves to check and limit the downward movement of the body. The springs constructed and arranged as herein described will support the vehicle-body in an easy and The vehicle-box hangs low, thus facilitating the entrance and exit of the occupant, and said box or body is, moreover, so evenly balanced as to impose little or no weight upon the back and shoulders of the draft-animal. The interior construction of the vehicle-body is specially designed for the convenience and comfort of the occupant, who may easily through the side windows reach the mail-boxes which are provided along the route.

By the use of this improved carriers wagon the delivery and' collection and the general handling of the mails will be greatly facilitated and may be carried out in much less time than is required at the present time.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. An arched wheel-supported drop-axle, a spring-supported body hung in the arch of the axle, draft members connected with the latter, bars suitably connected with the sides of the body, extending forwardly to the draft inembers and engaging the inner sides of the latter, transverse bolts connecting` the body-bars pivotall y with the draft members, and a crossbar connecting the draft members beneath and in rear of the pivotal connecting-point of the draft members with the body-hars.

2. A pair of thills, a cross-bar connecting the same, a vehicle-body having forwardlyextending side bars connected pivotally with the inner sides of the thills, and leaf-springs connected hingedly with the body-bars near the front ends of the latter and having their rear ends supported slidably in contact with the under sides of said body-bars; said springs being intermediately supported upon the cross-bar connecting the thills.

3. A dropped axle having transportingwheels at the ends thereof, thills connected with the spindle portions of the axle, a crossbar connecting the thills, a vehicle-body having forwardly-extended side bars connected pivotally with the inner sides of the thills, bowed leaf-springs connected hingedly with the under sides of the body-bars near the front ends of the latter and having bifurcated rear ends contacting slidably with the under sides of the body-bars, and headed studs engaging the bifurcated ends of the springs; said springs being intermediately supported upon the cross-bar connecting the thills.

4. A pair of thills, a cross-bar connecting the same, a vehicle-body having forwardlyextended side bars connected pivotally with the inner sides of the thills, bowedleaf-springs abutting at their ends upon the under sides of the body-bars, and wear-blocks or cushions interposed between the bowed portions of said springs and the cross-bar connecting the thills and having sliding engagement with the springs.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aiiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LAWRENCE T. VAR'IN.

Witnesses:

A. M. Cnocxnn, A. L. HUGHES.

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